This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In the field of processor-based systems, such as computer systems, it may be desirable for information to be transferred from one system to another system via a network. Networks may be arranged to allow information, such as files or programs, to be shared across an office, a building, or any geographic boundary. While these networks may be used to increase productivity, they also expose computer systems to security risks, such as interception of confidential data by unauthorized parties, loss of data integrity, unauthorized access to computer systems on the network, and the like.
A wide variety of security measures may be employed to secure data in a networked environment. For example, security components or modules may be used to attest to the settings within the computer system. In other words, the security modules may certify the validity of the computer system as a system that may be trusted by other systems. Such a security module may maintain records that relate to components and devices that are utilized by the computer system. These records, which may be encrypted with keys to prevent unauthorized access and/or may be managed by an administrator who is able to control the configuration of the computer system. However, if multiple security modules are utilized in a single computer system, each security module may contain incompatible data, which may be undecipherable by the computer system or other security modules. The data is incompatible because each security module may have a different perspective (i.e. may store differently encrypted data) of the information within the computer system and/or the operating environment of the computer system. These differences in perspective may result in conflicts that prohibit effective operation of the computer system.
For example, if two security modules are utilized in a computer system, each of the security modules may have different information that relates to the configuration of the computer system because each security module may have its own keys to encrypt the information that relates to the computer system. If one of the security modules is damaged, access to the information that was stored in or for the security module may not be obtainable. As such, the loss of a single security module may hinder the operation of the computer system as a whole and prevent access to specific information within the computer system.
In addition, with multiple security modules in a single computer system, the security modules may not be able to determine which security module is the controlling security module. As a result, the security modules may be unable to coordinate the operation of multiple security modules within a single computer system. Also, an administrator of the computer system may not be able to determine which security module is being utilized by the computer system. This problem may hinder maintenance or troubleshooting of the computer system.